ON THE DOCKSIDE: by W.R. Valentine

Business is picking up in the Rogers Boat Harbor but not as quickly as is expected for this time of the year. Part of the reason for the decline may be that the cost of gasoline is going up and up. A related hot topic that has been talked about in Presque Isle and Rogers City harbors was the prospect of a price war between the big three automakers as well as the Japanese companies. Most of the boaters are pulling their rigs on a trailer behind a gas-guzzling pickup or an SUV.

?LAST WEEK four Sea Rays and a 55-Maxum came through on the way over to a boat show in Bay Harbor,? said Harbor Master Ken Rasche. ?The Sea Rays were 45, 48, 50 and 52 feet in length. There may be some people who are not going to spend that money on fuel but the big boats are still being sold.? He noted that three of the five boats sold at the show. The Double-Handed Sailboat Race comes to Rogers City this Sunday and Monday. Volunteers from the Sail and Power Squadron will be on hand to meet and greet the sailors. The volunteers will provide free transportation to stores around town for the crewmembers. The last count had 54 boats in the race though about ten percent usually drop out before the beginning because there is no entry fee to forfeit.

Rasche pointed out that a lot of the people in the race use it as an opportunity to get their boats up north in a hurry and then have their family join them for more leisurely cruising.

OTHER SAILORS, on the other hand, are full of c

ompetitive spirit and go right on to the next regatta, whether it be up around the tip of the mitt or through the North Channel and into Superior. One of these sailors is a retired medical doctor from West Bloomfield Hills named Ray Hanna. He is the captain of a 38 foot Cruiser and is traveling with an entourage of five other powerboats heading to Munising. His opinion on the price of gas was typical of many people today. ?It used to be that if you could buy it, you could afford to run it but now fuel has become an issue, there?s no doubt about it,? he said. ?I filled up in Harrisville this morning and it was $400.?

ALSO DOWN at the Rogers City dock this week was solo diver Bud Huizing from Dearborn. Huizing was checking the straps on his zodiac-style dive boat and cleaning his gear. He carried some very professional-looking camera equipment with him. Huizing was diving on the Perseverance in about 130 feet of water. Up north a ways he was on the Persian at a depth of 160 feet. Some of the wrecks still have the tableware settings out and pocket watches sitting on tables. One reason for this state of preservation is the government?s efforts in setting up the sanctuary. Another important reason the artifacts are not pilfered is that diving in 160 feet of Lake Huron water is not for the fainthearted. It is mentally and physically challenging and very unforgiving. Also, deepwater divers tend to be professional and/or highly trained individuals who are more likely to leave things where they find them.

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